Fees & Networks

Why Is My Crypto Transaction Pending?

Your transaction is stuck in the mempool. This guide explains the common causes — low gas, network congestion, nonce gaps — and step-by-step fixes to speed up or cancel pending transactions.

6 min read
#transactions#pending#gas-fees#troubleshooting

You sent crypto and it's been "pending" for minutes, hours, or even days. Don't panic — pending transactions are usually resolvable. This guide explains why transactions get stuck and exactly how to fix them.

Why Transactions Get Stuck

When you send a transaction, it enters the mempool — a waiting room of unconfirmed transactions. Validators pick transactions from the mempool and include them in blocks, generally prioritizing those with higher fees. Your transaction can get stuck when:

  • Gas fee was too low — the most common cause. You set a low gas price, and validators are processing higher-paying transactions first. During congestion spikes, even "normal" gas prices may not be enough.
  • Network congestion — during major events (NFT mints, market crashes, memecoin launches), the mempool fills up and lower-fee transactions wait longer.
  • Nonce gap — Ethereum transactions must be processed in order per account. If transaction #5 is pending, transactions #6, #7, etc. are all queued behind it.
  • Node issues — occasionally, the node your wallet connected to may not have properly broadcast your transaction to the network.

How to Check Your Transaction Status

Steps to check a pending transaction
1. Find the transaction hash in your wallet
   (MetaMask → Activity → click the transaction)

2. Paste it into the relevant block explorer:
   • Ethereum: etherscan.io
   • Arbitrum: arbiscan.io
   • Base: basescan.org
   • Polygon: polygonscan.com

3. Check the status:
   • "Pending" — still in the mempool, waiting
   • "Success" — confirmed, you're done
   • "Failed" — transaction reverted (gas still charged)
💡
On Layer 2 networks (Arbitrum, Base, Optimism), transactions typically confirm in 1–3 seconds. If a transaction is pending on an L2 for more than a minute, something is likely wrong with the network or your wallet connection.

How to Fix a Stuck Transaction

Option 1: Wait It Out

If gas prices are temporarily high, they'll usually come down within hours. Your transaction will process once the base fee drops to your gas price. Check Etherscan Gas Tracker to see current prices and trends.

Option 2: Speed Up (Increase Gas)

Most wallets let you "speed up" a pending transaction by resubmitting it with a higher gas fee:

  1. In MetaMask, go to Activity and find the pending transaction.
  2. Click "Speed Up."
  3. MetaMask will suggest a higher gas fee. Accept it.
  4. The new transaction replaces the old one (same nonce, higher fee).

Option 3: Cancel the Transaction

You can cancel a pending transaction by sending a 0 ETH transaction to yourself with the same nonce but a higher gas fee. This effectively replaces the stuck transaction with a no-op:

  1. In MetaMask, click "Cancel" on the pending transaction (if available).
  2. Or manually: send 0 ETH to your own address, set the nonce to match the stuck transaction, and use a higher gas price.
  3. Once this cancellation transaction confirms, the original is dropped from the mempool.
⚠️
Cancellation only works if the original transaction hasn't been confirmed yet. Once a transaction is included in a block, it's final and cannot be reversed — that's how blockchains work.

Common Scenarios

Quick troubleshooting guide
Symptom                              | Likely Cause          | Fix
─────────────────────────────────────|───────────────────────|──────────────
Pending for 10+ min on Ethereum      | Low gas price         | Speed up tx
Pending for 1+ hr on Ethereum        | Very low gas price    | Speed up or cancel
Pending on Layer 2 for 1+ min        | Node/wallet issue     | Disconnect/reconnect
"Nonce too low" error                | Nonce conflict        | Reset account in MetaMask
"Insufficient funds for gas"         | Not enough ETH for fee| Add ETH for gas
Transaction "Success" but no tokens  | Token hasn't arrived  | Check correct network

How to Reset MetaMask Nonce

If you have multiple stuck transactions creating a nonce jam:

  1. Open MetaMask → Settings → Advanced.
  2. Click "Clear activity tab data" (this resets the local nonce counter).
  3. Your next transaction will use the correct nonce based on the blockchain state.

This doesn't affect your funds — it just resets MetaMask's internal transaction counter.

Prevention Tips

  • Use Layer 2 networks for everyday transactions — confirmation is near-instant and gas fees are negligible.
  • Don't lowball gas fees — if MetaMask suggests a gas price, it's usually based on current network conditions. Going significantly below the suggestion risks a stuck transaction.
  • Send a test transaction first — especially for large amounts or unfamiliar networks. See our network guide for more.

Understanding gas and networks is key to smooth crypto usage. Learn why gas fees vary so much and which network to choose to avoid these issues in the first place.

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